Allow me to laugh as I retype this. Yes, I had this post written when my screen went blank! What was on the screen a second ago was gone … How does emotional intelligence apply to this scenario?
For starters, years back I may not have laughed so quickly and easily with the “zap – gone” of my information 🙂 Today, laughter is an important tool for me in asking “is this a big deal – really?”
When emotional intelligence was entering the scene as a concept, in the 1990’s I was moving to Asia. In China, instilling western management philosophy and practices in a country quite different from ours taught me the value of emotional intelligence (EQ) from a “street level perspective”.
You see, understanding ourselves opens a door to understanding others. We may not always like what we see in ourselves or in others. What do we do about that? How do we cultivate working relationships at home and work more easily?
Let’s begin and look at the world through the eyes of emotional intelligence. Justin Bariso defines emotional intelligence this way, “Emotional intelligence is the ability to make emotions work for you, instead of against you.”
Let’s consider ways to make emotions work for us in life.
- Awareness – self awareness and awareness of others is a powerful tool in our toolkit. Our encounters at home and work often involves interaction with others. Creating environments where we are “seen, heard and valued” goes a long way toward getting things done
- Evaluate natural tendencies – what is your “go to response” in situations big and small? If we want to develop new tendencies and reinforce new habits, knowing your “baseline” gives you a head-start to creating change
- Be honest with yourself about strengths and weaknesses. As much as we may wish to “be all things to all people”, we have limitations. Linking back to awareness, it is important to recognize what we do well and where we may benefit from the assistance of others
- Thoughts, beliefs, actions and results come from emotions. Are you satisfied with your current day results? How do you set yourself up to achieve the results you seek?
- Are you open to new thoughts, ideas and action? How we view the world has an impact on what we take in, who is in our circle, of how we go about our lives
- Empathy allows us to go beyond ourselves and view a situation from the eyes of another
Emotional intelligence increasingly is viewed as a factor in corporate results and within our home lives. Consideration and compassion are a powerful combination in dealing with stress in the workplace and at home. Begin paying attention to your “go to” responses and reactions to situations. It is from awareness that progress becomes possible!
When you want to pursue some proactive steps to care for your future at home and work, let’s talk. We’ll tackle those “life and work issues” with diligence and some fun along the way. Awareness of what’s at stake and what’s to gain is a powerful tool.
Reach out with questions via Email. Additional information is available upon request or on the website @ The Living PlannerÂ
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